By: Krysten Jackson

In the epilogue for his debut essay collection, Michael Arceneaux describes his motivation to continue writing. At a community event, Arceneaux remembers his purpose, “I wanted to make people laugh and make people think.” I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé (2018) does just that as it combines a variety of stories stemming from Arceneaux’s life experiences. Using his witty writing style, Arceneaux shares what growing up as a Black, gay, “recovering” Catholic man has been like for him.

In between laugh-out-loud anecdotes about meeting the Queen Bey herself or lighthearted but critical comments about the current president with increasingly creative nicknames, Arceneaux touches on more sensitive topics surrounding how the different aspects of his identity affect his day-to-day. One moment you’re laughing at an argument about “Beytheism” (the disbelief in the greatness of Beyoncé), the next you’re thrown into introspection as Arceneaux discusses how his relationship with his parents has caused difficulties for him in making connections and feeling whole.

Arceneaux’s writing is easy to read, but not simple, as he creates a distinct and complex picture of himself that lets the reader get an idea of who he is. He is funny, a bit of a cynic, and speaks (or writes) with conviction. This and more make the collection a consistently entertaining read.

Although I enjoyed the majority of the book, there are moments that weren’t exactly my style. Several times Arceneaux goes off on tangents that are interesting but seem to serve no purpose in furthering the current essay except maybe to make sure the reader is on his side of the argument at hand. I found myself skimming through a lot of that once I got the ultimate point. There are also a few loose ends, which left me feeling less satisfied than I would like to be. Arceneaux seems aware of this, as he mentions not being able to wrap the story up with a nice bow in the epilogue. I understand, but it’s unsatisfying nonetheless.

Arceneaux wanted to make me laugh and think, which he did. As an essay collection exploring identity and the small pieces that make it up, I Can’t Date Jesus may not be the most fulfilling, but it is still a fun read.

I Can’t Date Jesus BY Michael Arceneaux.

2018. Atria Books: 256 PAGES. Paperback $ 11.49

Krysten Jackson is a Chicago-based writer and recent graduate of Northwestern University. When she's not reading, she spends most of her time thinking about weird language quirks. You can keep up with her activities on Twitter @applekrys.